Electric vehicles such as forklifts, lift trucks, fork trucks are electric powered industrial vehicles used to lift and move materials short distances. The use and development of the forklift truck has greatly expanded worldwide. Electric vehicles have become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing operations. Electric forklifts are powered by either a battery or by fuel cells that provide power to the AC or DC electric motors. The electric vehicle is typically driven to a recharging station where heavy cabling is dragged into position in order to charge the batteries on-board the vehicle.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.